1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a butchering device used in the treatment of carcasses, and more particularly to compact and portable devices that assist with the spreading, suspending, and transporting of carcasses such as are desired for field dressing after a successful hunt.
2. Description of the Related Art
At the conclusion of a successful hunt, it is highly desirable to dress the carcass as soon as possible after killing the animal. When one waits to dress the carcass, undesirable decomposition products accumulate and taint the meat, and the dressing process is more difficult and undesirable. Instead, at least preliminary dressing is preferably done in the field while the carcass is still warm and flexible, and rigor mortis has not yet set in.
One part of the dressing process is the removal of the viscera, including internal organs. In order to do so, the carcass will most preferably be stabilized with the rib cage held open. Holding the rib cage open increases view and access, so that a person can safely remove the appropriate contents. Suspending the animal carcass decreases the amount of interfering blood, and, with the ribs spread, improves access and decreases the likelihood of acquiring diseases from the animal. Additionally, propping the carcass with the ribs open expedites the cooling process and slows the growth and spread of bacteria on the inside of the carcass. To such an end, the carcass is often suspended by two limbs from a convenient tree branch, post or the like, and the rib cage is propped open.
There are numerous pre-existing approaches to spreading ribs. Several of the existing approaches involve pneumatically, hydraulically, and/or electrically driven devices, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,682,412 to Hendrix, entitled “Apparatus for Holding, Supporting, and Maneuvering an Animal Carcass While Holding Open the Rib Cage of the Carcass” and 6,199,828 to Komperud, entitled “Linear Spreader”, the contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference for their teachings. Both patents illustrate a means for suspending a carcass and spreading the rib cage. However, both are undesirably large for transport during a hunt. Consequently, the carcass must first be transported to the equipment, resulting in undesirable decay and contamination. These devices provide no mechanism for moving the animal carcass either before or after the field dressing is complete, and dragging an animal carcass is awkward and can consume a great deal of time.
Another approach to dressing an animal carcass is found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 12,222 to F. Tesh, entitled “Beef Spreader”; 6,059,649 to Ballard, entitled “Rib Spreading Device and Method of Utilization”; 1,172,489 to G. M. Schellinger, entitled “Gambrel”; and 5,707,281 to Hicks, entitled “Game Carcass Spreader”, the contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference for their teachings. These patents mechanically spread the carcass and have ratchet devices and the like which require manual releases, thereby holding the carcass apart as long as may be desirable. These patents do not address the need for transporting the carcass, and several have prongs or hooks which may be dangerous to a hunter, either during the hunt or during transportation or use.
More transportable mechanisms are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,270,857 to L. De Moss, entitled “Carcass Spreader”; 5,087,019 to Peabody et al., entitled “Spreader Apparatus”; 6,186,882 to Adams et al, entitled “Animal Field Dressing Hanger”; 4,901,397 to Pursell et al., entitled “Carcass Spreader Device”; 5,360,368 to Hajek, entitled “Wild Game Dressing Tool”; 370,615 to J. Folger, entitled “Meat Spreader”, the contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference for their teachings. These patents generally provide collapsible and/or more compact rib spreaders. However, these rib spreaders still lack any features to facilitate transporting the carcass.
Accordingly, there is a need for a compact and readily transportable apparatus that will allow one to spread the ribs of an animal carcass for field dressing or cooling that can additionally function as an aid for transporting an animal carcass to or from a field-dressing location. Such an apparatus in provided by the present invention.
In addition to the aforementioned patents, Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition copyright 1983, is also incorporated herein by reference in entirety for the definitions of words and terms used herein.